Inside pipe and tube cutter



Nov. 26, 1957 R. K. SMITH INSIDE PIPE AND TUBE CUTTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 18, 1957 Fig./

Robert K. Smith IINVENTOR.

1' Nov. 26, 1957 Filed March 18, 1957 R. K. SMITH INSIDE PIPE AND TUBE CUTTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

l illlfl 22 BY AW wns zym INSIDE PIPE AND TUBE CUTTER Robert K. Smith, Detroit, Mich.

Application March 18,1957, Serial No. 646,619

9 Claims. (Cl. 30-105) This invention relates to. pipe and tube, cutters and more particularly to an adjustable inside pipe and tube cutter.

The adjustable inside pipe and tube cutter in accordance with the invention is. used to cut pipe or tube from the inside when impossible and not feasible to cut the pipe or tube from the outside. This cutter, although adaptable for all pipes and tubes, is designed principally to meet a specific need for this type of tool. That is, to cut cast iron soil pipe of the uniform spun type. As an example of the dire need for such a tool, a plumber always leaves a stub of four inch soil pipe whenroughing-in a floor mounted water closet. This stub eventually must be cut off at the floor level. The present method employed to cut off this stub of soil pipe is touse ahammer and cold chi el which results in considerable loss due to cracking, splitting and uneven breaking of the cast iron pipe.

Accordingly, the principal object of the invention is to provide an inside pipe and tube cutter providing the advantages of allowing the cutting of pipe and tube in placewhere other cutting devices are not usable or the use of such other cutting devices causes considerable damage to pipe or tube being cut, and yet the cutter of my inventions permits a smooth cut preventingloss due to. cracking, splitting and uneven breaking. Flowing from this is the saving in money, material and labor resulting from this better job that is performed by the invention.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of the cutter constructed in accordance with the invention, showing the same being used in cutting a piece of pipe;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 but with the pipe omitted.

In the accompanying drawings there is a pipe or tube cutter which is constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. This cutter is shown cutting a piece of pipe or tubing 12 from the inside, this being how the invention is intended to be used as described herein previously.

Cutter 10 is constructed of sleeve 16 provided with an upper pair of slots 17 and 18 and a lower pair of slots 19 and 20. Nut 22 is at the lower end of sleeve 16, and there is a screw 24 passed therethrough. This screw extends completely through sleeve 16 and has a lower section 25 threaded in one direction and an upper section 26 threaded in the opposite direction. The center of screw has a reduced part 27. The lower extremity of screw 24 has an anchor 30 which may be made in any manner, for example by placing a nut and a cotter key 31 thereon. The upper end of screw 24 has a hand wheel 35 attached, as by bolt 36' thereto in order to rotate the screw. Cap 38 is on screw 24 and below the handle 35.

A T-fitting 40 is attached to the upperend of sleeve 16 and has handles 41 and 42 extending therefrom whose purpose is to rotate the cutter in such a manner as to cut pipe 12 from the. inside. Collar 44 is mounted on the upper end of the sleeve 16. and is held in place by a. setscrew 46. Ring 48 is rotatably disposed between the upper and lower flanges 49 and 50. of collar 44 and it has a pair of supporting arms 53 and 54 secured thereto. The supporting arms 53 and. 54, are right angular with their lower ends welded or otherwise. secured within the V- shaped cradles 58 and 59 that are adapted to contact the outer surface of pipe 12 and press against the same. There are means to which the cradles 58 and 59 are secured for pulling them tightly against the outer surface of pipe 12. These means comprise a clamp that is made of a pair of parallel sides. 62 and 63 having bolts 64 and 65 passed through aligned holes in the opposite ends thereof. Wing nuts 66 and 67 are on the ends of the bolts and are used. to bring. the cradles 58 and 59 tightly against opposed parts of the outer surface of pipe 12. Since the cradles 53 and 59 are welded to an intermediate part of each side 62 and 63, a rigid clamp construction results.

Cutting wheels 70 and 71 are mounted in forks 72 and 73 at the outer ends of arms 74 and 75 respectively. These arms pass through bosses 76 and 77 that protrude at right angles from the side walls of sleeve 16. Forks 79 and. 36 are at the inner ends of arms 74 and 75 and they are engaged over the reduced part 27 of screw 24. Travelling nuts 81 and 82. are on the oppositely threaded parts 26 and 25 of screw 24, and they each have straight parts which pass through the slots 17, 18 and 19, 2th. The. slots constrain movement of the travelling nuts 81 and 82 to axial with respect to the screw 24. Upper links 88 and 89 are attached to laterally projecting ears on nut 81 and on. upstanding ears on the forks 72 and- 73 respectively. Links 90 and 9.1 are attached to depending ears on the same forks and to laterally projecting ears on nut 82. This for-ms a drive connection between the screw 24 and the arms 74 and 75 adjusting the cutting wheel 70 and 71.

In use the clamp is applied onto the outside of the pipe 12 and tightened in place in order to bring the cradles 58 and 59 tightly against the outer surface of the pipe 12. Then the handle 35 is rotated in order to cause the nuts 81 and 82 to move toward each other thereby spreading cutting wheels 71 and 70 with respect to each other and bringing them to bear against the inner surface of the pipe. After obtaining proper cutting pressure in this way handles 41 and 42 are rotated thereby rotating the sleeve 16, nuts 81 and 82, shaft 24 and the cutting wheels '70 and 71 that are carried by the structure previously described. This cuts an impression in the pipe regardless of its position or location in the floor, deck, etc.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and changes will be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An inside pipe or tube cutter comprising a rotatable sleeve having longitudinal slots therein, a screw having an upper and lower part which are threaded opposite to each other, nuts on said parts, upper links pivoted to one of said nuts and lower links pivoted to the other of said nuts, arms pivoted to said links, means for guiding said arms, cutting wheels at the outer ends of said arms and adapted to be brought against the inner surface of the pipe that is to be cut, manual means connected to said sleeve for rotating said sleeve in order to propel the cutting wheels on the inner surface of said pipe, and adjustable means for said screw to rotate said screw and thereby move said nuts with respect to each other which propels the cutting wheels radially of said screw.

2. An inside pipe or tube cutter comprising a rotatable sleeve having longitudinal slots therein, a screw having an upper and lower part which are threaded oposite to each other, nuts on said parts, upper links pivoted to one of said nuts and lower links pivoted to the other of said nuts, arms pivoted to said links, means for guiding said arms, cutting wheels at the outer ends of said arms and adapted to be brought against the inner surface of the pipe that is to be cut, manual means connected to said sleeve for rotating said sleeve in order to propel the cutting wheels on the inner surface of said pipe, and adjustable means for said screw to rotate said screw and thereby move said nuts with respect to each other which propels the cutting wheels radially of said screw, said adjusting means including a hand operated member at one end of said screw, said manual means to rotate said sleeve including a handle below said manual adjustable member and attached to said sleeve.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein there is a clamp to attach said sleeve to the outside of the pipe that is to be cut, said clamp having cradles which are adapted to embrace opposed surfaces of the pipe, supports extending from and secured to said cradles, an annular member connected to said supports, a collar having an upper and lower flange attached to said sleeve and in which said annular member is rotatable.

4. An inside cutter comprising a rotatable sleeve, a screw inside said sleeve, a pair of cutters, adjustable means drivingly connecting said cutters with said sleeve and adjustably connecting said cutters to said screw, means to rotate said screw in order to adjust said cutters radially with respect to said sleeve, and guide means for said cutters constraining the adjusting movement thereof to radial movement.

5. An inside cutter comprising a rotatable sleeve, a screw inside said sleeve, a pair of cutting wheels, adjustable means drivingly connecting said cutting wheels with said sleeve and adjustably connecting said cutting wheels to said screw, means to rotate said screw in order to adjust said cutting wheels radially with respect to said sleeve, guide means for said cutting wheels constraining the adjusting movement thereof to radial movement, said sleeve having a handle adjacent to one end by which said sleeve is adapted to be rotated, and a clamp located below said handle and rotatable on said sleeve and adapted to attach to the pipe that is to be cut.

6. In combination, a clamp adapted to be attached to a pipe that is to be cut, cutting wheels located below said clamp, means to rotate said cutting wheels within the pipe, said rotating means being mounted for relative movement on said clamp, and means for laterally adjusting said cutter wheels.

7. An inside pipe cutter for pipe and tubing, said cutter comprising a rotatable sleeve having an upper pair and a lower pair of slots, nuts having parts which pass through said slots so that said nuts are constrained in their motion, a reversely threaded screw in said sleeve and engaged with said nuts to move said nuts toward and away from each other in response to rotation of said screw, a pair of arms, means in said sleeve for guiding said arms and constraining the movement to radial motion, cutters at the outer ends of said arms, forks in said arms by which said cutters are mounted for rotation, links connected to said arms and the parts of said nuts which protrude through said slots thereby interconnecting said nuts to said arms, a handle at one end of said sleeve by which said sleeve is adapted to be rotated, a clamp adapted to attach to the pipe that is to be cut including a pair of cradles that firmly engage surfaces of the pipe, support arms extending from said cradles, an annular member, and means adjustably mounted on said sleeve and holding said annular member captive so that it is capable of rotation only with respect to said sleeve.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein the said last mentioned means comprises a collar, a fastener carried by said collar in engagement with said sleeve, said collar and said clamp being axially adjustable on said sleeve.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein there are manual means connected to said screw for adjusting said screw with respect to said sleeve.

No reference cited. 

